An Inspired Cook

If you’ve ever had a taco salad at a restaurant, it’s usually served in a flour tortilla bowl that has been deep fried or baked. It’s filled with salad and topped with seasoned ground beef, chicken, steak or pork, followed by grated cheese, salsa and a spicy ranch dressing. Sometimes I make a vegetarian version with black or pinto beans with roasted corn and avocado. I don’t have a mold to make flour tortilla bowls but I do have an alternative. I take a flour tortilla, cut it into triangles and pan fry them. They turn out light and crisp and seasoned perfectly with a sprinkle of red chile salt. I have a hard time not eating them all before they go into the bowl; they are so addictive! But with that said, fill your bowl with as many crispy fried tortillas as you wish and then top them with the rest of your salad fixings. Your going to love it! And if you want to make it healthier, just add some beans, corn, avocado or any other veggie to your salad, it’s up to you what you put in it.

Use scissors or a sharp knife to cut tortillas into triangles. Heat a nonstick pan and add a drizzle of olive oil. When heated, add the tortilla triangles in a single layer and let fry until they brown slightly. Use tongs to turn each tortilla over to fry the other side. Sprinkle with red chile salt and remove from the pan to a bowl lined with paper towels to blot any excess oil. Continue cooking in batches adding a drizzle of oil to the pan after each batch until you’ve fried all the tortillas.

I’ve come to rely on my mini wok for so many things. It makes quick work of cooking meats and vegetables, plus so much more. Heat your wok over medium high heat and add a drizzle of olive oil. Add your cut chicken pieces, sprinkle with the seasoning and cook until chicken is browned on the bottom. Use a wooden flat spatula to scrape the meat from the bottom and toss in the wok until all pieces are cooked through. Cook in batches if necessary.

Remove cooked chicken to a bowl lined with paper towels. Set aside.

Time to assemble this chicken taco salad. Layer the fried flour tortillas in a bowl, placing them along the bottom and sides of the bowl.

Next comes the salad greens. I chopped a 3 inch wedge of iceberg lettuce for this bowl but it’s ultimately up to you how much you add to your bowl.

Add some diced tomato.

Add grated cheese of choice. This is Oaxaca cheese which is one of my favorite cheeses. Monterey Jack, Cheddar or Cheddar Jack cheese also works well here also.

Divide the chicken between your bowls.

Drizzle spicy ranch dressing and salsa over top. Garnish with sliced green onions.

Chicken Taco Salad

2 Medium (8 – 10 inch) Flour Tortillas, cut into triangles
Olive Oil, for frying
Red Chile Salt, recipe follows
2 Chicken Thighs or 1 small Chicken Breast, cut into small pieces
NM Red and Green Seasoning, recipe follows
Chopped Lettuce of choice, I used a 3 inch wedge of Iceberg lettuce for each bowl
1 Roma Tomato, chopped
Oaxaca Cheese, grated
Spicy Ranch Dressing, recipe follows
Salsa, recipe follows
Sliced Green Onions for garnish

Use scissors or a sharp knife to cut tortillas into triangles. Heat a nonstick pan and add a drizzle of olive oil. When heated, add the tortilla triangles in a single layer and let fry until they brown slightly. Use tongs to turn each tortilla over to fry the other side. Sprinkle with red chile salt and remove from the pan to a bowl lined with paper towels to blot any excess oil. Continue cooking in batches adding a drizzle of oil to the pan after each batch until you’ve fried all the tortillas.

Heat a mini wok or fry pan over medium high heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil. Add a single layer of chicken to the wok and sprinkle with red chile salt. When the chicken has browned on the bottom, use a wooden flat spatula to toss the chicken pieces to cook throughout. Cook in batches is necessary. Remove to a bowl lined with paper towels.

Assemble your bowl with fried tortillas lined over the bottom and up the sides of the bowl. Add chopped lettuce, diced tomatoes, grated cheese and cooked chicken. Drizzle spicy ranch dressing and salsa over top. Garnish with sliced green onions.

Red Chile Salt
2 teaspoons Sea Salt
1 teaspoon dried NM Red Chile, roughly ground
1 teaspoon dried Guajillo Chile, roughly ground
Combine salt and ground chiles together. Any unused Red Chile Salt can be kept in a jar with a lid for future use. **I grind the dried chiles in a coffee grinder to make spice blends.

NM Red and Green Seasoning
1 teaspoon Ancho Chile, roughly ground
1 teaspoon Guajillo Chile, roughly ground
1 teaspoon Green Chile Salt, (1/2 teaspoon Green Chile Powder plus 1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt)
1/2 teaspoon Onion Powder
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/2 teaspoon Corriander, ground
1/4 teaspoon Chile de Arbol, roughly ground
Combine together and store in a glass jar with a lid.

Spicy Ranch Dressing
1 tablespoon Hidden Valley Dressing Mix
1/2 cup Buttermilk
1/4 cup Mayonnaise
1/4 cup Sour Cream or Whole Plain Yogurt
Spritz of Lemon Juice
1/4 -1/2 teaspoon NM Red and Green Seasoning
Whisk together dressing mix, buttermilk, mayo, sour cream and lemon juice. Add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon NM Red and Green Seasoning depending on taste. Refrigerate any unused dressing.

Jan’s Salsa
2 Cans Fire Roasted Tomatoes
6 Green Onions thinly sliced, green part only
2 Jalapeno peppers, chopped
5-6 NM Green Chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh Cilantro, chopped
Juice of 1/2 Lime
Salt to taste

Combine all the chopped ingredients, set aside.  Run the fire roasted tomatoes through a food processor a few seconds.  Once you get the consistency for the salsa, add the green onion, jalapeno, green chile, garlic, and cilantro.  Mix together, spritz with lime juice, and salt to taste.